Current Final

Tag: PTI

  • Will Hafeez Shaikh continue as finance minister?

    Will Hafeez Shaikh continue as finance minister?

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government will soon be required to pick a new finance minister as Abdul Hafeez Shaikh’s tenure of six months is going to expire in June 2021 following his loss in the Senate election.

    Hafeez Shaikh, who took oath as Minister for Finance on December 11, 2020, was contesting for the Senate seat from Islamabad from the platform of the PTI and it was requisite for him to win the polls to continue the same portfolio since he was an unelected individual to head the ministry. However, under the Constitution, it would not be possible to serve as finance minister as he has been defeated by former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, the joint candidate of the PDM, in yesterday’s Senate race.

    According to reports, PTI lawmakers and allied parties’ lawmakers were not happy with the PM’s decision to award a ticket to his aide on finance as many saw Sheikh as a “parashooter” in the PTI ranks.

    It remains to be seen who will be the next finance minister.

  • ‘Who voted for Gilani?’ – PDM defeats PTI in Senate election

    ‘Who voted for Gilani?’ – PDM defeats PTI in Senate election

    Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday emerged victorious against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

    After the result was announced, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and the former prime minister shook hands and hugged each other.

    The news of Hafeez’s defeat was told to him by Zain Qureshi — who was the minister’s polling agent — following which the two men embraced each other.

    Gilani secured 169 votes while Shaikh received 164 votes. Out of the total number of 341 votes, 6 were rejected and 1 was not polled.

    Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz celebrated the win in their tweets.

    Nawaz Sharif also tweeted, congratulating Gilani on the win.

    Meanwhile, PTI’s Dr Shahbaz Gill tweeted that the government will challenge this result

    PTI’s Shaukat Yousafzai also called a press conference, asking who voted for Gilani and alleged that money had a role to play. He also questioned the veracity of the results.

    The votes were done by secret ballot and it will be difficult for the government to determine who voted for whom.

  • Senate Election: After Gillani’s video, Sindh minister’s alleged audio suggests horse-trading

    Senate Election: After Gillani’s video, Sindh minister’s alleged audio suggests horse-trading

    As lawmakers elect colleagues to the upper house of the Parliament amid controversies, Sindh Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah has purportedly been heard in a leaked audio making assurances to ruling party lawmakers.

    The audio clip being reported as a conversation between Punjab MPA Ali Haider Gillani and Shah emerged shortly after a video of former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gillani’s son instructing a lawmaker on how his vote can be wasted in the Senate election went viral on social media.

    In the audio, two people can be heard talking about offers of millions of rupees to PTI lawmakers ahead of the Senate polls.

    Ali can allegedly be heard saying that he spoke to Shah, who asked him to bring down the “offer”. An assurance is given in the audio that development work will be done in constituencies as per the wishes of PTI lawmakers.

    “We could carry out uplift projects worth around Rs100 million,” said a voice being attributed to Ali.

    The son of the Senate candidate allegedly said it would be difficult to carry money if payments are made in cash as it would attract attention.

    The same voice further said that ‘friends’ (PTI lawmakers) were standing with him and wanted to talk to the provincial information minister.

    “Tell four of them that they would be taken care of,” another man responded. The voice is said to be of Shah.

    The provincial information minister has denied that the voice is his.

  • ‘I was there’: Ali Haider Gillani reacts to leaked video

    With less than 24 hours to go, another controversy has come to the fore regarding the Senate elections.

    A leaked video of Ali Haider Gillani – son of former Prime Yousaf Raza Gillani – was aired by ARY News, where he is heard talking about how to waste Senate vote.

    It seems that the other person is from the ruling party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). According to reports, the video was recorded a week ago.

    Addressing a press conference after the leaked video was aired, Ali Haider Gillani admitted the video was real and that he met more than one MNA over the course of campaigning for his father.

    He said he was not buying votes but was telling PTI member of how to waste his vote as that member did not want to vote for his own party.

    “Where do I talk about money in the video? I did no wrong. This is to distract us.”

    The Election Commission of Pakistan has taken notice of the video and Gillani’s response and will be taking up the issue.

    https://twitter.com/profaltafkhan/status/1366783802849296386?s=21

    Yousaf Raza Gillani will face Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh in the Senate elections.

  • VIDEO: PTI members wrestle each other in Sindh Assembly

    VIDEO: PTI members wrestle each other in Sindh Assembly

    Just a day before the Senate Elections, lawmakers from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) decided to wrestle each other in the Sindh Assembly creating havoc.

    As per details, PTI’s disgruntled MPAs – Aslam Abro, Shehryar Shar and Karim Bakhsh Gabol – were beaten up by their own party members during a session of the Sindh Assembly.

    The three MPAs had earlier said that they will not vote for PTI candidates in the Senate polls. The fighting match that ensued can be seen in the tweets shared by journalists Murtaza Ali Shah and Gharidah Farooqi.

    https://twitter.com/MurtazaViews/status/1366702520467415042

    Later, a video of PPP MPA Sharmila Faruqi running out of the assembly emerged and the lawmaker clarified that she was running to get security.

    When asked about this incident by journalists outside the Sindh Assembly, PTI’s Haleem Adil Sheikh started shouting at them.

    He said that he is very sad that today, some senior journalists are posing as PPP workers and also called them lifafa sahaafi (journalists who take money). He also raised slogans against journalists.

    Responding to Sheikh’s comments, senior journalist Asma Shirazi asked why is it that whenever tough questions are asked, PTI members resort to attacks on journalists.

  • VIDEO: Bushra Bibi makes rare public appearance, visits Panah Gah in Lahore

    Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi made a rare public appearance and visited a Panah Gah (shelter home) in Lahore to inspect the facilities given to the people residing there.

    Pictures and videos of her ‘surprise visit’ were shared on PM Khan’s official Instagram account with the caption: “Bushra Begum paying a surprise visit to see if the needy in Panah Gah are being looked after.”

    “The staff, the cleanliness and the arrangements were good but she was not happy with the quality of the food. We will now ensure the quality of food is improved,” added the statement.

    During the visit, while responding to a reporter about her contribution as the “woman behind Imran Khan’s successes”, Bushra Bibi said: “Behind every successful man, there’s his wife, right? Isn’t that right? Then?”

    Read more – PM Imran’s love for wife Bushra, who has ‘great wisdom’, melts hearts

    Later, talking to the media, she also praised the PTI government saying: “[The] government has given shelter to people sleeping under the open sky.”

    “Funds will be provided on a priority basis for the necessary repairs to shelter buildings,” she added.

  • Senate Election on March 3 will be conducted as per past practice: ECP

    Senate Election on March 3 will be conducted as per past practice: ECP

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday said that it deliberated on the order/opinion of the Supreme Court passed yesterday in Presidential Reference and has “decided to implement it in letter and spirit”.

    In a statement, the ECP said that it is taking all possible steps and measures to fulfil its constitutional duty to check that corrupt practices in the Senate Elections are guarded against.

    The ECP has decided to constitute a committee in this regard so that they can give their recommendations regarding the use of technology in the Senate Elections within a period of four weeks.

    The ECP has decided that “due to time constraint, ensuing Senate Election scheduled for March 3, 2021 will be conducted as provided in the Constitution and Law as per past practice”.

    https://twitter.com/profaltafkhan/status/1366629264746020866

    In a short order issued yesterday, the Supreme Court observed that the Senate Elections are held in accordance with the law and the Constitution, saying it “is the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to protect the polls from the menace of corruption”.

    Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that though the Supreme Court’s opinion on the matter was different, the ECP’s decision to delay the use of technology till the next Senate polls was astonishing.

    He added that both the apex court and ECP are respectable for him.

    All eyes will be on former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani’s election tomorrow.

    He is contesting as the joint candidate of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) against PTI’s Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh.

    The election between Gillani and Sheikh is important as a Gillani win would prepare the ground for a no-trust vote against Prime Minister Imran.

    Meanwhile, the premier is taking this contest quite seriously and is leading the Senate campaign for the government. He held back-to-back meetings with lawmakers on Monday and will also host a luncheon today for National Assembly lawmakers.

  • VIDEO: PTI, PPP lawmakers quarrel in Sindh Assembly

    VIDEO: PTI, PPP lawmakers quarrel in Sindh Assembly

    The session of the Sindh Assembly witnessed a heated spat between the lawmakers after a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA said that there was a “dog rule” in the province.

    Khurram Sher Zaman made these remarks in reference to the death of a two-year-old girl in Jamshoro, CM Murad Ali Shah’s constituency, who passed away due to the unavailability of the anti-rabies vaccine in the province. “It looks as if nowadays the dog rules in Sindh,” the PTI leader said, requesting the speaker to recite a prayer for a two-year-old girl.

    https://youtu.be/J9LwQD_CrTM

    At this, PPP lawmaker Mukesh Kumar asked him to mind his language. This was the start of a spat between the lawmakers that later blew out of proportion.

    Speaker Durrani said that this was no manner to behave in the house. “Please go and fight outside the house if you are interested in violence”, he added and warning that the session would be adjourned if the MPAs failed to behave.

    “Please ask Chawla, who is at the helm of the excise and taxation ministry, to close the illegal wine shops in the province,” said Zaman. This once again created another uproar in the assembly. Chawla retorted: “You should stop the supply of tainted food in your restaurant.”

    On Thursday, the session was marred by uproar and chaos as members of both the ruling Pakistan People’s Party and opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf exchanged heated arguments and chanted slogans against each other.

  • VIDEO: Was PTI’s Haleem Sheikh tortured in Karachi jail?

    VIDEO: Was PTI’s Haleem Sheikh tortured in Karachi jail?

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Haleem Adil Sheikh has accused the Sindh government of trying to harm in jail through its alleged goons in the light of a video released by PTI’s Karachi chapter showing the Sindh opposition leader running for his life.

    According to PTI, the MPA was attacked by “goons” in jail and he was running from them to save himself. In a video statement, Sheikh said he had come to Karachi’s Jinnah Hospital allegedly after he was beaten up in jail, adding that PTI workers, including Samir Mir Shaikh, Amjad, Hafeez Chandio and three other people who are in Central Jail are being “tortured”.

    Maritime Minister Ali Zaidi also alleged torture on Sheikh. “Sheikh was hospitalised after being attacked by 50 PPP goons inside Central Jail Karachi,” he claimed.

    POLICE CONTRADICT SHEIKH:

    However, Karachi Central Jail Superintendent Hassan Sahito rejected the claims made by the PTI leader. He said “nobody raised a hand on Haleem Adil Sheikh or slapped him”, adding that some prisoners raised slogans against Sheikh and PM Imran Khan when the PTI leader was being shifted to another ward.

    “Haleem Adil Sheikh was being moved to the Mohammad Ali B-class ward […] and was passing through the waiting area when some prisoners raised slogans. He was moved back to the superintendent’s office in 26 seconds,” Sahito said.

    Sheikh was later moved to the security ward, he added.

    According to the police officer, Sheikh was moved to a hospital because he had submitted an application for treatment. According to Sheikh, he suffered from blood pressure issues and had heart problems and he was regularly treated at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD).

    The Sindh government also denied the allegations levelled by the PTI leaders, saying Sheikh was arrested on the orders of the Election Commission of Pakistan.He further said that Sheikh could be seen “happy and healthy” in the hospital which shows that he wasn’t tortured at all. “No torture was done on him in jail,” Wahab stressed.

  • Fawad says his ministry has developed e-voting technology for fair polls

    Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has said that his ministry has developed a technology for electronic voting which would be transferred to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) soon to ensure transparency.

    Last week, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had ordered the relevant authorities to expedite efforts to introduce the e-voting system.

    According to APP, the Science and Technology Ministry has developed the e-voting technology in collaboration with the National Institute of Electronics (NIE), National University of Science and Technology (NUST), and COMSATS University.

    “Electronic voting can help get rid of rigging in elections,” Fawad said in a reference to the new technology. According to Fawad, the government had also presented election reform bill for adopting electronic voting system in elections to end malpractices. 

    The minister stated that the opposition complained of rigging in the by-polls only in the constituency where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate allegedly won. However, their own candidates won in Nowshera and Wazirabad which they accepted happily, he added.

    The minister further said, “Although we had spent crore of rupees in the past in by-elections in each union council during the whole week, but when late Kalsoom Nawaz contested by-election [in Lahore], Rs3 billion were spent in a single constituency without any audit.

    Rejecting the baseless claims of Maryam Nawaz regarding a delay in results in Daska, Chaudhry Fawad said “We do not live on Mars and are well aware of the fog situation in the area.” He demanded the ECP issue a formal notification about the winning of PTI candidate, Ali Asjad Malhi from NA-75 (Daska).